Hi vw,
About your problem getting into bios.When you start up your thinkpad does the screen blink or pause at a screen that says "IBM Thinkpad" In any way, shape, or form? If so is there any text at the bottom of that screen? I got this from my Thinkpad. You see I have a "power on password" and whenever I turn on my thinkpad the first screen that it pauses at is
an "IBM Thinkpad" screen and at the bottom of that screen it says something like "F1 to access bios" ( keep in mind i have a 1300)
I thought just in case you had that thinkpad screen pop up then maybe thats how you could access bios.
Hope this helps
From: dietpepsiaddict